The best piece you'll read today, courtesy of the Prime Minister Sinister Cool Kevin Pelton.
Good teams win close games more frequently than bad teams, but the difference is not as dramatic as it is for games decided by at least six points. This makes sense conceptually. Think of the difference between the one-and-done NCAA Tournament and the best-of-seven NBA postseason in terms of upsets. The better team comes up empty far more in the NCAA frequently (occasionally, like Wisconsin or Texas, ruining your bracket in the process) because the series is shorter. Anything can happen in a single-elimination tournament, and the same is true of the last five minutes of a close game.
Locke chips in on the same subject.
In late-game clutch moments, Ray is 7-of-22. This is surprisingly low for someone as good as Ray.
A surprise was how good and important Gelabale has been late in games. While he has played sparingly in those circumstances, he has hit three key shots as well as two big free throws. That is three of the 12 close game wins this season where the rookie has made a big play. As a reminder, Gelabale hit the game-winning three in the Spanish League finals a couple of years ago.
And why he can't beg borrow or steal minutes right now is a crime ... FREE GELABALE!
Gilbert Arenas, Flying Dynamite
Now that Arenas is one of the league’s best players, his stories are endearing. He came out during introductions for the season opener in a blue robe with a hood, supposedly to look like a wizard. He once said he wants to convert his house to high-altitude conditions so he can stay in better shape. He told The Washington Post he prefers to sleep on his couch rather than his bed and he once ate 12 cheeseburgers on a trip to Toronto to play the Raptors.
On his blog three weeks ago, he announced that his girlfriend was expecting to give birth to a baby boy.
“They can’t call him Gilbert,†he wrote, “because they’re gonna call him, ‘Who’s eating Gilbert’s Grape.’ â€
Ray went to the doctors today to have his foot checked out. Not sure how serious it is. He was getting treatment after the game in Portland on Sunday and was not available to speak to us, a rarity, and the fact that he is going to the doctor sends up a red flag for me. Bob was downplaying it, I guess we will see what happens tomorrow and if he is available.
Better than cheaptickets.com without the annoying commercials. Seeing Shat mack on some poor girl 60 years his junior is kinda sickening.
"With any franchise people, [fans] want to see a team do well," Sonics vice chairman Lenny Wilkens said recently. "If they're not doing well, they want to be sitting in some comfortable seat or something. If you take it all — they're not playing well, you don't have a great place to view it — then negativism builds.
"But to pinpoint exactly when it happened [in Seattle], I have no idea."
About time this got out there to counteract the nattering nabobs of negativism who have dominated the debate so far.
In another note I've recently started reading Neil Gaiman's awesome graphic novel 1602. Fans of the Sandman or Gaiman's other work should check it out -- it's terrific, fantastic artwork too.
Looking forward to tonight's game!